How do YOU pick a book? What is that decisive factor which makes you pick it up? How many times have you been wrong, or, on the other hand, pleasantly surprised by your choice?
It is always a challenge for any writer to write a blurb for their novel. How DO you put something you worked on for years into several brief sentences, which manage to attract the attention of a huge majority of readers, also conveying the essence of your story and your writing style? Mission impossible for some, me included sometimes.
However, since I myself have learned that books are like people (never fully trust the cover or what they briefly tell you about themselves;), I tend to take a look at the sneak peek, check out the text in library paperbooks or glance at the preview offered in stores.
Here is the longer version of the blurb for my novel, which I know does not do justice to the book. I merely wanted to prove my point;). Btw, the video link below is an app experiment at a promo video.
THE FOREST OF TREES BLURB:
When a family of four faces the brutal reality of their city life, they readily embrace a complete change. Emma and David Stone, with their kids Jeremy and Dot, move to a small town with their big hopes. However, small towns have their own secrets – from urban legends about The Forest of Trees to family skeletons in closets everyone knows about.
Gradually, Jeremy and Dot make some new and unusual friends, whereas Emma and David start working again, and things seem to be going for the better. But evil never rests. The Jacksons, a bigoted and brutal family of pig farmers, however scary, are not the only ones leaning towards malice. The more new friendships grow, the more villains will struggle to retain power. Will the arrival of the newcomers tip the scales in favour of the good or the evil? And how can The Forest of Trees play its part in the solution?
The life between the legendary Forest of Trees and the small town of Tillsworth is separated only by a road. All it takes to reconnect is to take that path.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwnR-_utzJA
Anita's Haven 
If the cover or title interests me, I will look at the blurb on the back. If that interests me, I’ll get it. At the moment, I’m mostly just getting books sent to me for review, and it so hard to tell if I’ll like them until they are in my hands.
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Thank you for your reply. Yes, when books are sent to us for review, it is different than when just choosing for ‘fun’. Reviewing entails another level of responsibility.
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